Match #1
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. No. 23 Michigan Tech Huskies (0-0)
Friday, August 26, 2022 at 2:30 p.m.
Seaside, Calif. – Otter Sports Complex
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #2
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Cal State Monterey Bay Otters (0-0)
Friday, August 26, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Seaside, Calif. – Otter Sports Complex
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #3
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Cal Poly Pomona Broncos (0-0)
Saturday, August 27, 2022 at Noon
Seaside, Calif. – Otter Sports Complex
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #4
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros (0-0)
Saturday, August 27, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Seaside, Calif. – Otter Sports Complex
Live Stats | Live Video

Academy of Art volleyball gets set to write the program's 15th chapter this week as the Urban Knights commence their 2022 campaign, the first with Head Coach Breann Robinson at the helm, on Friday.

With it being a NCAA Division II Championship festival year, ART U begins its 29-match schedule one week early with nine non-conference contests all coming before 20 Pacific West Conference matchups beginning a little over one week into September. Four matchups in the Otter Invitational sees the Knights open with No. 23 Michigan Tech and Cal State Monterey Bay on Aug. 26 followed by Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Aug. 27. Splitting four matches across three days and two sites, Academy of Art next plays Northwest Nazarene (Sept. 1), Cal State East Bay and Sonoma State (both Sept. 2), and Chico State (Sept. 3) in the Seawolves/Penguins Classic.

After one final non-conference paring with Stanislaus State (Sept. 6) on the road, ART U opens PacWest action by hosting Point Loma (Sept. 9) and Concordia (Sept. 10) on back-to-back days prior to traveling to Hawaii for matchups with Chaminade (Sept. 16), Hawaii Pacific (Sept. 17), and UH Hilo (Sept. 19). Another road contest at Fresno Pacific (Sept. 24) gives way to a four-part homestand that features Holy Names (Sept. 26), Dominican (Sept. 29), Azusa Pacific (Oct. 5), and Biola (Oct. 8). Conference rematches begin thereafter starting in Southern California at PLNU (Oct. 14) and Concordia (Oct. 15) then shifting back to the Bay Area with HNU (Oct. 22) and Dominican (Oct. 24). The Knights' homestretch will see them host FPU (Oct. 29), venture south once more to face APU (Nov. 3) and Biola (Nov. 4), then close out the regular season welcoming UH Hilo (Nov. 7), CUH (Nov. 9), and HPU (Nov. 12) to the mainland.

Collegiate experience aplenty can be found in Academy of Art's senior and graduate student class. Two returning seniors, middle blocker Jillian Wheaton and libero Isaura Santos, combine with two incoming grad students and NCAA Division I transfers, outside hitters Amalie Rupertova and Maya McClellan, to compose the group. Wheaton enters her final year as ART U's career leader in hitting percentage (.325) as well as top 10 in program history in block solos (32, third) and block assists (10th, 172) while Santos' 241 digs last season was the highest total among returners. A transfer from North Carolina A&T State with skills offensively and defensively, Rupertova contributed to the Aggies' first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship and inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance. McClellan joins the Knights after averaging 2.57 kills per set over 39 total matches in her last two years with Eastern Washington.

Joining the team's lone junior, setter Elly McInerney who transferred from Polk State College, are a trio of familiar faces in the sophomore group. Right side Katherine Von Kraut, setter/defensive specialist Nina Garcia, and middle blocker Janaya Delone will look to build on their first full collegiate seasons in 2021 where Von Kraut ranked second on the team in both points per set (3.32) and kills per set (2.96).

Three freshmen round out ART U's roster as middle blocker/right sides Zoe Arnold and Kaia Fittz will debut for the program alongside setter Ainsley Robare. A four-year varsity letter winner in volleyball at Redondo Union High School, Fittz was named to various watch lists including the 2021 AVCA All-American High School List, 2020 AVCA Phenom List, and the PrepVolleyball.com Class of 2022 Ones To Watch List.

Primed for the journey ahead, Academy of Art tosses its first serve of the 2022 season this Friday.